Match-safe.



H. K. & 0. x. PORTER. MATOH SAFE.

91 3,978. APPLICATION PILED 8EPT.27, 1906. Patented Mar 3 SHEETB-8EBET1.

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MATCH SAFE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 2'], 1906.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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H. K. & 0. K. PORTER.

MATCH SAFE.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27 1906.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

HERBERT K. PORTER AND ORSON K. PORTER, OF EARLY, OREGON.

MAT CHI-SAFE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27, 1906.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 336,502,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HERBERT K. PORTER and ORSON K. PORTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Early, in the county of Sherman, State ofOregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatch-Safes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to that class of mechanically operated matchboxes or holders that are designed by their operation to deliver but onematch at a time.

The invention, in its nature, com rises an outer casing adapted tosupport tie trunnions of a rotary cylinder that is operatedintermittently, and is provided with a series of match-receivingchambers, each having means to catch a match as the cylinder is rotated,and a hinged lid to each chamber that is opened as the cylinder isrotated to release or drop the aforesaid match.

The nature of the invention is fully ascertainable from the annexeddrawings, forming a art of this specification, in view of which it willfirst be described with respect to its construction and mode ofoperation, and then be pointed out in the subjoined claims;

Of the said drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig.3 is a verticalsectional view in the plane 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asectional view in the plane 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view inthe plane 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a pers ective detail of one of thelids. Fig. 7 is a ottom view of the tray post.

Similar figures of reference designate similar parts or features, as thecase may be wherever they occur.

In the drawings 10 designates a base, and 11 a casing suitable tosupport a rotary drum, 12, and its operating means.

The drum comprising the recessed hub 12, the sides 12, and thecylindrical chambered casin 14 is provided with a plurality of chambers13, in its outside extending from side to side, for the receipt ofmatches, which chambers are closed by a lid, 15, hinged at one edge tothe cover, the said lids being substantially semi-cylindrical in crosssection, as shown, the outside of the drum with which the curved lidcomes into contact, being correspondingly shaped.

Within each chamber 13, is a lip 16, of a width just wide enough to holda single match, as shown in Fig. 3. Near each end of the lip 16 there isa notch 17, formed in the free edge of the cover for the head of thematch caught by the lip, 16, to fall into. The cover 15 on the endadjacent to the side 18 of the casing is offset or extended, as at 19,for a purpose to be presently explained.

The end of the drum opposite to that facing the side 18 of the casing isprovided with a ratchet disk, 20, the teeth of which are engaged by theends of the s ringpressed pawls, 21, connected with a lever, 22, in suchmanner that both will operate to turn the drum 12 in the directionindicated by the flight of the arrow marked thereon, one pawl operatingon the ratchet wheel as the lever is depressed and the other as it israised. But one pawl may be used if the construction is so contrivedthat it will rotate the cylinder to the necessary extent that is, thedistance taken up by one chamber 13 and one of its walls in the drum.This fact will appear obvious, and it will also be plain that the use oftwo pawls to move the ratchet wheel, as shown and described, is to limitthe movement of the pawl-actuating lever to a short distance and to actas a check on the drum and keep it moving in the desired direction.

The manually operated lever 22 is acted upon by a spring 23, connectedwith the easing and bearing on the under side of the lever to raise it.The lever is secured to the casing in that its rear end is bent at aright angle to its main portion, as at 25, and is projected throughround notches, 26 formed in the rear sides of cleats 27 secured to theinside of the back of the casing, the extreme portion of the rearwardpart of the lever being bent at a right angle and inclined downward sothat its lower end may engage an angular bend, 28, formed in a springwire 29, the vertical portion of which extends up along-side of the rearpart of the side casing 18, and is fastened at its upper end thereto andfurthermore has pegs or tacks on its opposite side to give it propertension, the horizontal portion 30 of the said wire, 29 extendingforward and having an upturned end 31, that projects into the bottom ofthe post 32 upon the top of which there is a match-receiving tray 33,roughened or otherwise provided on its upper surface to keep the matchesfrom rolling off. The post 32 has a hole 34 formed vertically in itslower end into which extends a pin 35 to adapt the post to turn on thesaid pin and move the receiving tray 33 toward the cylinder 12 toreceive the match that may be delivered therefrom and then to move backinto normal position away from the cylinder.

The construction and arrangement of the lever, its connections, and thewire 29 and its connections is such that when the lever is operated toeffect the delivery of a match, as will be presently described, thedew-turned end of the lever, will engage the bend 28 of the spring wire29 and draw the horizontal portion 30 forward, and pull upon the post 32with which the upturned end 31 is eccentrically connected, and turn saidpost so as to move the tray, 33 inward toward the cylinder. When thelever is released the resiliency of the wire 29, will operate to turnthe post and tray back to first position.

On the inside of the end 18 of the casing there is secured an inwardlyprojecting rim 36 formed from sheet metal and being circular in form sofar as it extends. At the top the circular rim is open, and at theforward end of the open part there is a short curved flange 37, formedin a manner similar to the rim 36 set inward slightly from the said end.The construction and arrangement of the said rim and flange and theirrelationship to the drum and its parts is such that as the drum rotatesbetween the open ends of the circular rim the latter will act upon theoutside ends of the hinged lids 15, to keep them closed, but when anoflset or projection 19 on one end of the lid reaches the flange 37 thelatter will engage the said projection and by reason of its form raisethe lid, and let drop the match that may have been caught on the lip 16(which is only wide enough to hold one) upon the tray which will havebeen turned to position to receive it, as has already been explained. Asthe cylinder is further rotated the projection 19 on the end of the lidwill pass the flange 37 and close by gravity until it engages the rim36, which will hold it closed, as before set forth.

The outside surface of the covers and lids, will be left smooth or inother conditions to receive advertisements thereon, which will bebrought successively into view as the drum is rotated.

It will be understood that the chambers 13 will have matches placed inthem with their heads facing the side 18 so that the said heads willfall into the notches 17, of the lids when on the lip 13. Of course thenotch 17 may be made in the edge of the lid at the other end and theposition of the matches in the chambers 13 be reversed without chang ingthe functions of the device or notches can be made at both ends. Thesaid notches also serve as means for inserting the end of a matchtherein to open the lid.

It is recognized that other changes and va riations may be made in theform and arrangement of parts and features of a device embodying theinvention without departing from its general nature or spirit, forexample, it is clear that the outside of the drum need not have theprecise conformation shown.

What is claimed, is:

1. A mechanically operated match-box comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with a plurality of match receiving chambers each having anaccess opening, a hinged lid closing the access-opening to each chamber,means for supporting a single match at the opening edge of the lid,means for rotating the drum intermittently, and means for raising saidlids at a predetermined place, to deliver a match.

2. A mechanically-operated match box comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with a plurality of match receiving chambers each having anaccess opening, a hinged lid closing the access opening to each chamber,means for supporting a single match at the o ening edge of each lid,means for rotating t 1e drum intermittently, and means for raising thelids at a predetermined place, to deliver said match, combined withmeans for closing the lids and keeping them closed until opened asstated.

3. A mechanicallyoperated match-box comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with a plurality of match receiving chambers each having anaccess opening, a hinged lid closing the access-opening to each chamber,means for supporting a single match at the opening edge of the said lid,means for rotating the drum intermittently, and means for raising saidlids at a predetermined place to deliver said match, combined with atray to receive the match delivered, and means for actuatin the saidtray.

4. A mechanically operated matchbox comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with chambers for the reception of matches, each chamber havingan access opening, a hinged lid closing the access opening to eachchamber, the free edge of each lid being provided with a lip extendingover the upper edge of the outer wall of the chamber with which itcooperates.

5. A mechanically operated match box comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with chambers for the reception of matches, each chamber havingan access opening, a hinged lid closing the access opening to eachchamber, the free edge of each lid being provided with a lip extendingover the upper edge of the outer wall of the chamber with which itcooperates, and a notch in the edge of the cover for the head of thematch, combined with means for periodically lifting the cover to deliverthe match on the lip.

6. A mechanically operated match box comprising a casing, a rotary drumprovided with chambers for the reception of matches, lid for eachchamber to control the said each chamber having an access opening toopenings, each of the said lids being proeach chamber, the free edge ofeach end l vided on one end with an offset to be enbeing provided with alip extending over the gaged by the said flange to temporarily openupper edge of the outer wall of the chamber the lid, the rim engagingthe lid to close it with which it 006 crates, combined with and keep itclosed for a major part of the means for periodica ly lifting the lid todetime.

liver a match and closing the lid and holding In testimony whereof, weit'lllX our signait closed as stated. tures, in presence of twowitnesses.

7. The combination, with the casing pro- HERBERT K. PORTER. vided with acircular rib and flange, of a ORSON K. PORTER. rotary drum supported inthe casing and WVitnesses: having match receiving chambers, each J. W.ALLEN, chamber having an access opening, a hinged l PEARL BARNETT.

